Alanna Sapwell joins Fink’s Beach Byron Bay as head chef
Esmay’s Alanna Sapwell will start off 2022 with a bang when she takes on the head chef position at Beach Byron Bay.
Sapwell joins the restaurant after running her Esmay pop-up and time at Arc Dining and Josh Niland’s acclaimed restaurant Saint Peter.
The Queensland-born chef will officially commence her new role at Beach Byron Bay — a joint venture between Fink and Belinda and Ben Kirkwood — in February, and says she is keen to hit the ground running.
“I am eager to be joining the thriving hospitality community in Byron and working with the clever, thoughtful producers based in the local area,” says the chef.
Current Head Chef Simon Palmer will finish up at the restaurant at the end of January.
Sapwell is a bright star in Australia’s culinary industry, fast making a name for herself at Saint Peter where she worked her way up the ladder over a two-year tenure.
The chef returned to Queensland to head up Arc Dining at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves in 2018, however the restaurant closed in early 2020.
Sapwell went on to run Esmay at Noosa’s Wasabi restaurant and has continued to host events over the past year.
The Beach Byron Bay team are thrilled to welcome Alanna to the restaurant as she begins a new chapter.
“We are confident she will bring her incredible passion and leadership to the team and her creativity to the menu all while maintaining our ongoing commitment to showcasing the best produce and producers in the greater Northern Rivers community,” says Ben Kirkwood.
“Alanna is an incredibly talented, innovative and well-respected chef,” adds Fink General Manager Jeremy Courmadias.
“We are delighted to welcome her to Byron Bay and to the wider Fink team.”
